North St. Paul completes flushing; temporary chlorination set while tests proceed

City staff told the council April 21 that the municipal water system has been flushed and will receive temporary chlorination through next Monday while the Minnesota Department of Health conducts follow‑up testing.

City manager (speaker 6) said crews completed a systemwide flush and that chlorine will remain in the distribution system until next Monday, when sampling for the Department of Health will occur. "If it fails, we actually will be looking at permanent chlorination of the system," the manager said, noting staff hope to return to normal operations if tests come back clean.

Council members thanked staff for their work and emphasized minimizing disruption to residents. Staff said they will wait a week after chlorination before scheduling the Department of Health testing and will report results to the council when available.

Why it matters: Interim chlorination is a public‑health response intended to ensure safe drinking water while the city and state test for contamination. Permanent chlorination would be a longer‑term operational change with implications for treatment, monitoring and public communication.

What’s next: Staff will report Department of Health test results to the council when available and recommend next steps based on those results.